Also known as Plaza Botero, this is the square where most travelers love to linger, and so they should. A fabulous ensemble of 23 rotund, bronze sculptures created by beloved native son Fernando Botero distinguish this classic South American square. Most of Botero’s voluptuous sculptures tell it like it is. There’s Head, Man on Horseback, Roman Soldier, and Eve, all of which the artist intended to be both admired and touched. Meandering among the statues, sinewy campesinos wearing signature woven sombreros heave massive carts loaded with limes, and vendors purvey refreshing agua de panela, cups of mango, and Botero replicas in all shapes and sizes.

On Calle 52 (on the south side of the Uribe Palace), you’ll see elderly men set up with typewriters composing documents, job applications, and love letters for the city’s illiterate population. With plenty of tourists milling around here, you’ll notice a beefed up (even more than usual) armed police presence.